קֹהֶלֶת 7

1 טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדֽוֹ׃

A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.

2 טוֹב לָלֶכֶת אֶל־בֵּֽית־אֵבֶל מִלֶּכֶת אֶל־בֵּית מִשְׁתֶּה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא סוֹף כָּל־הָאָדָם וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל־לִבּֽוֹ׃

[It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.

3 טוֹב כַּעַס מִשְּׂחֹק כִּֽי־בְרֹעַ פָּנִים יִיטַב לֵֽב׃

Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.

4 לֵב חֲכָמִים בְּבֵית אֵבֶל וְלֵב כְּסִילִים בְּבֵית שִׂמְחָֽה׃

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 טוֹב לִשְׁמֹעַ גַּעֲרַת חָכָם מֵאִישׁ שֹׁמֵעַ שִׁיר כְּסִילִֽים׃

[It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

6 כִּי כְקוֹל הַסִּירִים תַּחַת הַסִּיר כֵּן שְׂחֹק הַכְּסִיל וְגַם־זֶה הָֽבֶל׃

As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.

7 כִּי הָעֹשֶׁק יְהוֹלֵל חָכָם וִֽיאַבֵּד אֶת־לֵב מַתָּנָֽה׃

for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.

8 טוֹב אַחֲרִית דָּבָר מֽ͏ֵרֵאשִׁיתוֹ טוֹב אֶֽרֶךְ־רוּחַ מִגְּבַהּ־רֽוּחַ׃

The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.

9 אַל־תְּבַהֵל בְּרֽוּחֲךָ לִכְעוֹס כִּי כַעַס בְּחֵיק כְּסִילִים יָנֽוּחַ׃

Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.

10 אַל־תֹּאמַר מֶה הָיָה שֶׁהַיָּמִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים הָיוּ טוֹבִים מֵאֵלֶּה כִּי לֹא מֵחָכְמָה שָׁאַלְתָּ עַל־זֶֽה׃

Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for you do not enquire in wisdom concerning this.

11 טוֹבָה חָכְמָה עִֽם־נַחֲלָה וְיֹתֵר לְרֹאֵי הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.

12 כִּי בְּצֵל הַֽחָכְמָה בְּצֵל הַכָּסֶף וְיִתְרוֹן דַּעַת הַֽחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה בְעָלֶֽיהָ׃

For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.

13 רְאֵה אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂה הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי מִי יוּכַל לְתַקֵּן אֵת אֲשֶׁר עִוְּתֽוֹ׃

Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?

14 בְּיוֹם טוֹבָה הֱיֵה בְטוֹב וּבְיוֹם רָעָה רְאֵה גַּם אֶת־זֶה לְעֻמַּת־זֶה עָשָׂה הָֽאֱלֹהִים עַל־דִּבְרַת שֶׁלֹּא יִמְצָא הָֽאָדָם אַחֲרָיו מְאֽוּמָה׃

In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.

15 אֶת־הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי יֵשׁ צַדִּיק אֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ וְיֵשׁ רָשָׁע מַאֲרִיךְ בְּרָעָתֽוֹ׃

I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.

16 אַל־תְּהִי צַדִּיק הַרְבֵּה וְאַל־תִּתְחַכַּם יוֹתֵר לָמָּה תִּשּׁוֹמֵֽם׃

Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest you be confounded.

17 אַל־תִּרְשַׁע הַרְבֵּה וְאַל־תְּהִי סָכָל לָמָּה תָמוּת בְּלֹא עִתֶּֽךָ׃

Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest you should die before your time.

18 טוֹב אֲשֶׁר תֶּאֱחֹז בָּזֶה וְגַם־מִזֶּה אַל־תַּנַּח אֶת־יָדֶךָ כִּֽי־יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים יֵצֵא אֶת־כֻּלָּֽם׃

It is well for you to hold fast by this; also by this defile not your hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].

19 הַֽחָכְמָה תָּעֹז לֶחָכָם מֵֽעֲשָׂרָה שַׁלִּיטִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ בָּעִֽיר׃

Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

20 כִּי אָדָם אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה־טּוֹב וְלֹא יֶחֱטָֽא׃

For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin

21 גַּם לְכָל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּרוּ אַל־תִּתֵּן לִבֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־תִשְׁמַע אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ מְקַלְלֶֽךָ׃

Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest you hear your servant cursing you.

22 כִּי גַּם־פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת יָדַע לִבֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר גַּם־את אַתָּה קִלַּלְתָּ אֲחֵרִֽים׃

For many times he shall trespass against you, and repeatedly shall he afflict your heart; for thus also have you cursed others.

23 כָּל־זֹה נִסִּיתִי בַֽחָכְמָה אָמַרְתִּי אֶחְכָּמָה וְהִיא רְחוֹקָה מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

24 רָחוֹק מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה וְעָמֹק ׀ עָמֹק מִי יִמְצָאֶֽנּוּ׃

[That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?

25 סַבּוֹתִֽי אֲנִי וְלִבִּי לָדַעַת וְלָתוּר וּבַקֵּשׁ חָכְמָה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְלָדַעַת רֶשַׁע כֶּסֶל וְהַסִּכְלוּת הוֹלֵלֽוֹת׃

I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.

26 וּמוֹצֶא אֲנִי מַר מִמָּוֶת אֶת־הָֽאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר־הִיא מְצוֹדִים וַחֲרָמִים לִבָּהּ אֲסוּרִים יָדֶיהָ טוֹב לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים יִמָּלֵט מִמֶּנָּה וְחוֹטֵא יִלָּכֶד בָּֽהּ׃

And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

27 רְאֵה זֶה מָצָאתִי אָמְרָה קֹהֶלֶת אַחַת לְאַחַת לִמְצֹא חֶשְׁבּֽוֹן׃

Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,

28 אֲשֶׁר עוֹד־בִּקְשָׁה נַפְשִׁי וְלֹא מָצָאתִי אָדָם אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף מָצָאתִי וְאִשָּׁה בְכָל־אֵלֶּה לֹא מָצָֽאתִי׃

which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.

29 לְבַד רְאֵה־זֶה מָצָאתִי אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאָדָם יָשָׁר וְהֵמָּה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבֹנוֹת רַבִּֽים׃

But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.